Suspect Arrested in Near-Death Drug Overdose

I read with some sadness the news of Marc Lamarre's near-death experience as a result of an apparent drug overdose.

At 36, his career with WSLS is over. He has disgraced his employer and humiliated his family and friends. What will become of him now, God only knows. He is very fortunate that the medics got to him in time. Perhaps just a few minutes later and we would be reading his obituary now.

Local television personalities are often the closest thing small towns have to "famous" people. Marc is a well known community figure in the Roanoke area. We tend to hold prominent people to higher standards then we might hold your average citizen. But the truth is that just about every day individuals get caught up in drug use and are arrested. Some get the help they need. For some the arrest leads to the admission that they have a problem. It often takes an overdose or getting apprehended in an illegal act for the person to acknowledge that he or she is addicted.

Heroin is not the kind of drug people start with. It's usually after having been through numerous other drugs that one graduates to heroin use.

We, the public will never be privy to ALL the facts in this case. There are legal and ethical issues as well as Mr. Lamarre's personal privacy issues that will preclude that. But based on what has been disclosed in the media, it would seem that this may nothave been the first time he used drugs. A representative of WSLS more than hinted that the station gave "second and third chances" when she made her disclosure on the evening news.

My only hope is that this incident, involving a very well know television personality may be a wakeup call to those selling or using illegal drugs. THIS CAN HAPPEN TO ANYONE. ANYONE can get caught up in drug use.

I hope that Marc gets the help he obviously needs. He is a lucky man to be alive right now. I also hope the many kids he visited on the local schools will understand the dangers of Heroin and other drugs. Not everyone is fortunate enough as Marc to receive a SECOND CHANCE!

JUST SAY NO TO DRUGS!

Your comments are right! However, the addiction is so strong in it's grip that for the addict it is almost impossible to see they will loose everything! The drug is like a lover that the addicted person cannot live without. It takes more than a 30 day treatment program for most! Addiction is very difficult to over come and takes highly trained counselors to help one reach the level of recovery. Once in recovery that is your mission...to stay there. You are never cured of the addiction! You are made aware of signals and changes in behavior that might trigger a relaspse. Rhis is a lifetime effort!
I loved Marc and my heart goes out to him and his family.
The family should also seek counseling because the family is a system and needs to be treated as a unit for a strong recovery process to continue.

I would have to say that I completely disagree with your stating that it 'takes highly trained counselors to help one reach the level of recovery'... why would you even think something like this?
Are you an addict? Were you an addict? You have no right to say that these people need psychological help, as many addicts walk away from this 'help' the same way they walk in.
The only way for an addict to become clean is to have the desire to do it themselves, as no one has the ability to stop addicts from doing what they love so much...
After losing family, friends, shelter, their children and mostly everything else that non addicts hold so dear, some addicts hit bottom and realize what they have done and what they need to do to correct what they chose to do with themselves.
There are also the addicts that never hit this bottom, they simply continue this way of life until they either have no possible way of getting the drug, or they end up in the morgue.
My point is that we all have the ability to control what we do and what we do not do. Having struggled with addiction for many, many years... I feel that I have the right to say that psychological help for these people is completely insane.
Drug addiction is a cop out, people need to grow up and stop blaming their 'addiction' for every damned thing that goes wrong in their lives. It is total hogwash that addicts use their addiction to gain sympathy from others, leniency from courts and free mental health care... all the while laughing about it through the process, making complete jokes out of the people that want to 'help'...

Addicts are weak and should stop wasting our air and tax dollars. Let the worthless bastards family help them or die.

Tony Hall wrote:

Addicts are weak and should stop wasting our air and tax dollars. Let the worthless bastards family help them or die.

Tony--apparently you must suffer from a illness far worse than drug addiction---IGNORANCE--you are a very selfish person and i hope you reap what you sew---don't be so judgmental- Hatred of others is far worse than any other illness that may befall you. See, my beautiful daughter at age 19 died from an accidental overdose--we are so devastated and our lives will never be the same.She was not worthless-she was trusting and was with the wrong people---so please next time before you comment-make one that want cause pain to others----EDUCATE yourself-your statement is illeterate.

tony---to bad you hide your discrimination behind technology-people like you give me more reasons to pray every night for forgiveness-i loathe you and dont even know you-you pathetic pos.

They get what they have coming to them,have no time with drug user,they are to sorry to help them selfs.

I wish him well. It will take all his personal strength to face his deamons, deal with his pain and rebuild his life. It serves nothing to second guess his motives for drug use. I realize that may are diapointed in him and feel that he has caused his employer, his family, and community a great deal of discomfort and pain. However, the self rightoous attitude of some of these posts and the mean spiritness of other posts does nothing to help the situation or his healing process. He is no longer in the public eye and no longer residing in your community. Move on and let him rebuild his life in peace. I was shocked to learn that his job loss was not a recent event, but rather something that members of this board have been discussing and debating for over for two years.

I wish you strengh self confidence and happiness as you move foward Marc.